In the wake of the racist remark made by senior Democratic
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, members of the African-American
leadership network Project 21 are concerned by the lack of spirited
criticism by the civil rights establishment of the senator's statement
in comparison to their treatment of conservatives and then-presidential
candidate George W. Bush on matters of race.

Senator Byrd was interviewed by Fox News Sunday host Tony Snow
in a segment that aired on March 4. While expanding on his comment
that race relations are now "much, much better than they've
been in my lifetime," Byrd made reference to whites who are
still opposed to equal civil rights by saying, "There are
white niggers. I've seen a lot of white niggers in my time; I'm
going to use that word." He later issued a statement apologizing
for his remark.

While NAACP President Kweisi Mfume denounced Byrd's comments
as "repulsive," the comments have not generated the
same degree of criticism previously reserved for conservatives.

"I couldn't believe what I was reading," said Project
21 member S. Kevin Washington. "Senator Byrd's comments were
first brought to my attention via voice mail from a personal friend.
I had not heard it on a national news broadcast; not NPR; not
outcries of disgust by well-known black faces around America.
The same people who castigated Republicans - President Bush, in
particular - as racist now give Byrd a pass for his using the
word 'nigger' just because he's a Democrat like them. What a bunch
of nonsense."

House Majority Leader Dick Armey recently asked to meet with
the NAACP's Mfume to discuss stopping a trend Armey calls "Racial
McCarthyism or reverse race-baiting." Armey wrote: "[I]t
has become an all too common practice to spread unfounded, racially
charged falsehoods against Republicans for political advantage.
Deliberate or not, if left unchallenged, this practice will continue
to divide our nation, polarize our political parties and do untold
harm in the lives of real people who are unjustly accused of conspiracy
against the civil rights of African-Americans."

Project 21 members are concerned that the NAACP, which spent
millions against then-presidential candidate George W. Bush -
focusing on false allegations that his decision not to sign a
specific hate crimes bill (Texas already had one) led to the death
of James Byrd - is doing little to criticize the intentionally
offensive comments of liberal Senator Byrd. Such contrasts give
the impression that the group is unfairly pulling its punches
when dealing with racist behavior on the part of liberal politicians.

"I think the way Robert Byrd's racist comments were treated
is typical of our current civil rights leadership," said
Project 21 member Kevin Martin. "Groups like the NAACP have
become nothing more than liberal mouthpieces. They seem beholden
to liberal interests and, in this case, will simply issue a statement
to make it look like they're doing something. They must hold the
Democrats to the same standards they've held Republicans lest
it become apparent that they've sold their souls - and credibility
- to the liberal cause."